The rules of Dislocation
by Arweyn
Summary: Missing scene of 'The Rules of Engagement', dealing with Jason's injuries. No slash! Just bromance. Caring!Pythagoras, Hurt!Jason


_Missing scene to 'The Rules of Engagement' (1x07)_  
_A/N: so, I have to say that I love Atlantis. I love Jack Donnelly. So after watching last episode and seeing the dislocated shoulder, I couldn't help but write my own version about it. I totally adore the friendship between Pythagoras and Jason, so of course there will be a great deal of that in it too. I hope you enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I own nothing except my wicked sense to hurt characters!_

* * *

'The rules of Dislocation'

As soon as his opponent smashed him onto the ground, Jason knew he was done for. There was a nauseating pop in his shoulder and pain shot through his arm like a white-hot current. He groaned and tried to roll his shoulders, hoping to alleviate some of the pain, but found it to be impossible. The pain was unbearable.

There was no time for recovery however as his opponent came charging once more. He struggled upright, grasping his shoulder. Once more as the man came dashing towards him, armed with the ceremonial knife, Jason shot a quick glance towards the tribunal, seeing Ariadne. He raised his arms and still had no clue how he did it. The only thing he knew was that the pain unbearable and he could feel the blood drain from his face.

Second was that he managed to disarm the man and had nicked the man on the arm. He then crashed to the ground, in utter shock.  
The fall to the ground reverberated in his shoulder and the cheering of the crowd was drowned out by the sound of rushing blood in his ears.

Since when did the sand turn so unstable, he wondered as he clumsily got to his feet, his injured arm hanging useless next to his side. Instead of one opponent, he saw two. He grunted and grasped his shoulder, knees completely giving out. For the umpteenth time in that day he crashed to the ground. But instead of getting back up again, he stayed there. Watching as his vision got fuzzy and darkness clouded his senses, dragging him into a blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

'-'son.'

'-Ason!'

A rough shake, pain drifting into his sub consciousness, slowly dragging him away from the dark.

'Oh, for the love of the Gods, Hercules, why'd you do that? Can't you see he is in pain?' a light and irritated voice said.

'All I see, is a man who needs to wake up, urgently. What is wrong with him?' The deep voice retorted and stomped away, if the heavy footfall was anything to go by.

There was a cool hand on his forehead.

'He is burning up.' A female voice sighed.

'Jason, please wake up. We need to get you back home.' Pythagoras softly said.

'Gentlemen please. We need to clear the area. You can't treat him here.' An unfamiliar voice said.

'All right, we have no other choice but to move him.' Pythagoras said. There were people moving and a sudden sensation of weightlessness, swiftly followed by excruciating pain and his arm limply fell down. He howled in pain, tears leaking through his closed eyelids even in his semi-unconscious state.

'Could you be a bit more, careful, Hercules?' Pythagoras growled.

'Well, pardon me, he isn't a light-weight, either you know?' the rumbling voice said.

Two soft hands took his injured arm and carefully placed the limb across his chest, fully aware of the hitching breath as the arm was manipulated.

'It's his shoulder.' The woman stated.

Hercules tried to be gentle, but it was hard to maneuver the lanky frame of his injured friend. It was not his fault that when he nearly tripped, Jason's shoulder crashed against Pythagoras.

It was the last thing Jason knew before he slipped under again.

* * *

When he finally came to, with no one trying to rip his arm off on purpose, he found himself staring at the ceiling of the home he shared with Pythagoras and Hercules.

He groaned softly. Did it really hurt to just put him on his bed and let him suffer? He could feel the hard wooden table press into his back, a candle flickering on his left.  
Suddenly Pythagoras appeared in his peripheral vision.

'Jason…' he sighed in relief.  
' How are you feeling?'

Jason blinked a few times.  
'Hurts.' He whispered, holding his arm close to his chest.

'Yeah, your shoulder is badly swollen. We think you might have bruised some muscles. Nothing is broken. It's just…your shoulder looks just weird.' Pythagoras muttered.

'Can you move it?'

Jason shook his head. The thought of moving alone, made him incredibly nauseous.  
He heard Hercules bustling around, looking in their cupboards looking for herbs that might alleviate the pain.

Pythagoras bent down, rummaging with some pots and jars.

'This poultice should help.' He said, sounding unsure, and carefully spreading the ointment over the swollen shoulder. Jason hissed and turned away, wishing to be unconscious again.

As he opened his eyes he saw that Pythagoras was complete at loss. The man was a mathematician, not a physician. Neither was Hercules. They needed some professional health if they didn't want Jason's state to deteriorate.

Jason could hear Hercules conversing with Medusa. Well, trying to mostly. It was still very clear that they weren't on speaking terms.

Medusa came in, handing Pythagoras the herbs she had gathered.

'The herbs will ease the pain and the poultice…should bring down the swelling.' Pythagoras said, but the hesitance was evident in his voice.

'That won't work.' Hercules said, looking down at the shoulder and the little tremors that ran through Jason's body.

'Suddenly you are an expert on the healing arts.' Pythagoras scoffed.

'I have seen this before in the wrestling ring. The shoulder,' he said and pointed at the joint, 'is separated.'

In his typical Hercules manner, he took the arm Jason was favouring.

'It just needs putting back.'

Moving the arm was already unbearable. Cold sweat broke out on Jason's skin and hot waves of pain shot through his arm, shoulder and neck.  
He felt the blood drain from his face and he clenched his teeth. Breathing heavily through his nose.

He placed his hand of his shoulder, purely miserable.

'I'll show ya. Don't worry, this won't hurt.' Hercules said and almost felt a pang of guilt as he saw Jason looking at him. Believing him completely. He knew well enough this was going to hurt like hell.

He placed a hand on Jason's shoulder and manipulated the arm, popping the shoulder back with a nauseating crunch that had everyone gasping.  
Jason cried out in agony, immediately rolling onto his side, protecting his arm against more violence and torture. Stars flashed before his eyes and for a moment he believed he was going to pass out.

Medusa yelped, placing two hands in front of her mouth, in complete shock. Pythagoras stared at Hercules, mouth agape, not quite believing what just had happened.

They heard Jason whimper, saw the tear roll down his cheek and into his hair as he rolled back up, clutching his hair, waiting for the pain to dissipate.  
' I thought you said it wouldn't hurt.' He whimpered, eyes wavering and his breathing erratic.

'Would you let me do it, if I told you it did?' Hercules retorted.

'Try it now?' he asked and let go of Jason's clammy hand.

Both Pythagoras and Medusa looked in awe as Jason flexed his arm, albeit gingerly, a groan escaping his lips.

'Where did you learn to do that?' Medusa asked.

'I pick these things up.' Hercules said with a smile, proud of himself.

Pythagoras saw Jason shivering, knowing the pain was not completely gone.  
'We'll still need the tonic. Do you have the ginger?'

'And the mint.' Medusa said, taking both herbs.

'They need chopping and the coriander, grinding.'

'I'll get the pestle.' Hercules said and they both left towards the kitchen area.

Pythagoras looked at Jason, taking in the flushed skin and glazy eyes. The symptoms could be because of the brutal manhandling, Jason has just experienced, but he knew well enough that Jason was running a fever.

'Hey, are you feeling okay?' Pythagoras asked as he saw Jason's eyes rolling up a few times. He placed a hand on Jason's cheek, which was cold and clammy to the touch.  
'Jason?'

The man muttered something before going completely lax.  
'Jason? Jason?'  
Pythagoras tried to rouse him, but it was to no avail.

'Guys, I think he just passed out.' Pythagoras called, a tinge of panic to his voice.  
Medusa poked her head around the door, seeing the man pale and unmoving on the hard table.

'I think it's a combination of physical stress, pain and fatigue. I'm surprised he stayed awake this long.' She said and soaked a rag into the bucket of water.  
She handed it to Pythagoras.  
'Try to cool him down a bit with this.'

Pythagoras placed the rag onto Jason's warm forehead.  
'We should get him somewhere comfortable. The table is no place to rest.' Pythagoras muttered.

'Let's get him in bed.' Hercules said and scooped the unconscious man off the table. Both Pythagoras and Medusa could see that the giant was being extra careful.  
Hercules deposited the man on his own bed, making sure the pillow was neatly placed underneath Jason's head.

He rearranged the blankets and put the cloth back on Jason's forehead.  
'We'll administer the tonic when he is more aware. Don't want to end up choking him.' Pythagoras sighed. 'I'll take first watch.' He sat down on the chair next to Jason's bed, keeping a silent vigil.

* * *

An hour later Jason showed signs of waking up. He winced as he tried to move his arm, wondering why it hurt. Then the events came back and he relaxed against the pillows. He flicked his eyes open and saw Pythagoras sitting next to him. The younger man smiled at him.

'Are you feeling well enough to drink some of the tonic?' his friend queried, voice soft.  
Jason looked around and saw Hercules snoring softly. He nodded and carefully moved into a more sitting position, wincing a bit.

Pythagoras helped the man drink the bitter tonic. Jason scrunched his nose as the bitter beverage went down. He gave a brittle cough and closed his eyes, whilst leaning against the wall. It was blissfully cool against his warm skin.

'You are running a fever.' Pythagoras whispered, helping the man lie back down.  
'I don't think it would be wise to fight tomorrow. You will only aggravate your shoulder.'

Jason looked at him, with unfocussed eyes.  
'I have to.' Was Jason's sole answer. He closed his eyes, feeling the tonic beginning to work.

Pythagoras sighed exasperatedly. There was just no way convincing Jason that he was running towards his death.  
He put a fresh rag on Jason's forehead, giving him a wan smile when Jason opened his eyes to slits.  
'Just rest, Jason. Busy day tomorrow.' He said and sat back, watching Jason sleep.

* * *

Pythagoras couldn't be more relieved when the fight was over and Jason still alive. When the crowd went up in an explosion of applause, he noticed Jason wincing even at the slightest movement. The fights had taken a heavy toll on him, even despite his good physical condition.

They sat underground the arena, Hercules assessing the various injuries Jason sported. Jason was breathing very superficial. Hercules suspected some bruised ribs. Of course his shoulder and neck were a mess, and it seemed as if the bones in his left hand were misaligned.

When Ariadne came in, he couldn't hide the annoyed look that crept over his face. All Jason needed now was pain-killing tonics, proper treatment and rest, yet he kept gallivanting around as if nothing had happened to him. This girl was going to be the end of him one day.

Pythagoras was sitting alone at the table. Instead of mulling over his precious triangles, he was staring at the wall. Hercules was out drinking, celebrating their victory and the fact that Medusa was speaking to him again.

He blinked confused, pulled out of his reveries when he heard stumbling outside. He frowned as the door opened and a very pale, very dazed Jason stumbled in.  
Pythagoras shot upright, next to his friend in mere seconds, supporting his weight.

'Jason? What happened?' Foolish question of course, the man had just underwent heavy physical trauma. No wonder he was unsteady on his feet. He was drained.

'She…She kissed me…' he whispered, lips trembling. His knees buckled.

'Whoa, Jason, take it easy.' Pythagoras muttered, slowly breaking Jason's fall.

'What's...happening…' Jason muttered, furiously trying to keep his eyes open.

'Well, judging by the state you are in, I'd say you are suffering from fatigue and physical trauma. Jason, you need to get rest and heal. Your shoulder is a mess and earlier today Hercules said that he was really worried about your neck and hand.'

Jason looked at him, tiredly.

'I just want to sleep.' The man muttered and rested his head against Pythagoras' shoulder.

'Can you get up?' Pythagoras asked.

Jason shook his head, but Pythagoras wouldn't have none of it.

'Come on, you big baby.' The mathematician gently scolded and carefully hoisted Jason upright, taking most of the weight. He could feel the low grade fever spread from his body.

Together they managed to reach the bed, Jason's energy completely spent, or what was left of it, anyways. The 3 steps they had to walk, were almost unmanageable for the man.

Jason groaned softly as he laid down.  
Pythagoras sighed as he went back to the kitchen area to gather the herbs and tonic.  
When he re-entered, Jason was lying on his side in a fetal position, his back towards Pythagoras.

'Jason?' Pythagoras whispered and set the items down on the nightstand.

Jason did not answer.

When Pythagoras leant over, he softly placed a hand on Jason's shoulder.  
'What's wrong?' he asked, horrified when he saw a tear streak down Jason's cheek.

Jason shook his head, closing his eyes.

'Jason, please…' Pythagoras begged, feeling awful to see his friend in such a state.

'I miss home.' Jason whispered, blinking profusely, trying to get rid of the tears.  
'I miss home and I screwed up and I don't understand anything that's happening around here. There are stone bulls and minotaurs and betrothals and people get sacrificed for Gods…' Jason hiccupped, he wasn't the type to cry, but right now, it was all just too much to handle. Now, he couldn't just swallow away his problems. Right now, he needed someone to tell him it would be okay.

Pythagoras sat down on the bed, squeezing Jason's bicep.  
'I don't know where your home is, nor do I know how you can get back. I don't know what subs are or television. Or m..microwaves. And I know I can't bring you the comforts of home, like you used to have. But, I can try to make this your home as good as possible.' Pythagoras said, rubbing Jason's arm, mindful of the many bruises and scrapes.

Jason turned his head to look at his friend.

'I know, you don't understand our ways of life, I don't understand them myself many times. But there is nothing we can do about it, except to keep fighting. I mean, we are a great team.'

There was a short silence in which the only sound were Jason's sniffles.

'I care a lot about you, Jason. You are the big brother I've never had. You are my best friend, and Hercules thinks the same even though he doesn't show it. To us…you are family.' Pythagoras said.

Jason hoisted himself upright, wincing softly but ignored his pains and wrapped two strong arms around Pythagoras.

The mathematician was stunned by the gesture, but melted into the warm embrace, wrapping his arms around Jason, holding him tightly, mindful of his ribs.

'Thank you so much.' Jason choked out, pressing his head against Pythagoras skinny shoulders, sobs wracking his body. Pythagoras simply held on, rubbing Jason's back in a soothing manner.

They sat like that for fifteen minutes or so, Jason's sobs had eased down and his breaths were now deep and slow. Pythagoras sighed and placed the sleeping man carefully in bed, arranging his limbs. He then went to work, taking care of the injuries and mulling over how he could make it better for Jason.

He applied bandages, wrapped Jason's ribs and hand, a sling around Jason's injured shoulder and put a lot of poultice on ugly bruises.

He very much looked like a mummy. Pythagoras sat back and watched the man sleep deeply.

He hoped Jason would manage to fit in this world, and that he would want to stay. Pythagoras would be lost if his friend would leave.

* * *

Jason woke up the next morning, incredibly sore but somehow also comfy. He opened his eyes and noticed the sun rays on the wall. He saw Pythagoras asleep on top of a mound of pillows next to his bed. Jason smiled fondly.

Maybe he didn't miss home that much. Maybe this was what he needed all along.  
Maybe he needed the grouchiness of Hercules and the Jason-are-you-serious-looks Pythagoras would shoot him if he had said something foolish yet again.

Maybe this was home.

_Einde._


End file.
